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US 12,036,951 B2Granted
Storage box for a vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsSatyanarayana Raju Vemulapati, Juergen Koehler, Linh Ngoc Doan, Brent Clifford Dalton, Bhavani Thota
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A storage box includes a door that is coupled to the base. A pivot pin is coupled to the door and is operable between an engaged position, wherein the pivot pin is rotatably engaged with the base, and a disengaged position. The pivot pin is configured to move door-inboard due to contact with the base as the pivot pin moves from the disengaged position to the engaged position.
Claims13
A storage box for a vehicle, comprising:
- a base having a receptacle, a first end, and a second end opposite the first end;
- a door operably coupled to the base and having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
- a first pivot pin coupled to the door generally proximate to the first end of the door and operable between an engaged position, wherein the first pivot pin is rotatably engaged with the base proximate to the first end of the base, and a disengaged position, wherein the first pivot pin is disengaged from the base;
- a first biasing feature coupled to the first pivot pin and configured to bias the first pivot pin in a door-outboard direction;
- a second pivot pin coupled to the door generally proximate to the second end of the door and operable between an engaged position, wherein the second pivot pin is rotatably engaged with the base proximate to the second end of the base, and a disengaged position, wherein the second pivot pin is disengaged from the base;
- a second biasing feature coupled to the second pivot pin and configured to bias the second pivot pin in a door-outboard direction;
- wherein the door is operable between a closed position, wherein the first and second pivot pins are in the engaged positions, a first open position, wherein the first pivot pin is in the engaged position and the second pivot pin is in the disengaged position, and a second open position, wherein the second pivot pin is in the engaged position and the first pivot pin is in the disengaged position;
- a first actuator coupled to the door and operable between an actuated position and an unactuated position, wherein movement of the first actuator from the unactuated position to the actuated position is configured to move the first pivot pin door-inboard against the bias of the first biasing feature;
- and
- a second actuator coupled to the door and operable between an actuated position and an unactuated position, wherein movement of the second actuator from the unactuated position to the actuated position is configured to move the second pivot pin door-inboard against the bias of the second biasing feature, wherein the first actuator is operable to remain in the unactuated position during movement of the door from the second open position to the closed position, and the second actuator is operable to remain in the unactuated position during movement of the door from the first open position to the closed position;
- wherein as the door moves from the second open position to the closed position, the first pivot pin is configured to sequentially:
- contact the base;
- move door-inboard against the bias of the first biasing feature due to an angle of incidence between the base and the first pivot pin;
- and
- move door-outboard due to the bias of the first biasing feature to the engaged position;
- and
- wherein as the door moves from the first open position to the closed position, the second pivot pin is configured to sequentially:
- contact the base;
- move door-inboard against the bias of the second biasing feature due to an angle of incidence between the base and the second pivot pin;
- and
- move door-outboard due to the bias of the second biasing feature to the engaged position.
18 more elements
A storage box, comprising:
- a door coupled to a base;
- a pivot pin coupled to the door and operable between an engaged position, wherein the pivot pin is rotatably engaged with the base, and a disengaged position, the pivot pin being configured to move door-inboard due to contact with the base as the pivot pin moves from the disengaged position to the engaged position;
- and
- an actuator coupled to the door and operable between an actuated position and an unactuated position, wherein movement of the actuator from the unactuated position to the actuated position is configured to move the pivot pin from the engaged position to the disengaged position, and wherein the actuator is operable to return to the unactuated position while the pivot pin remains in the disengaged position, and the actuator is operable to remain in the unactuated position as the pivot pin subsequently returns to the engaged position.
1 more element
A storage box, comprising:
- a base;
- a striker feature having a contact surface, a receiving feature, and a spring feature that is configured to resiliently deform to allow the striker feature to move relative to the base;
- a door pivotably coupled to the base and operable to pivot between an open position and a closed position;
- and
- a pin coupled to the door and operable to move door-inboard due to contact with the contact surface and then door-outboard into the receiving feature as the door moves from the open position into the closed position.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.